ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Raptors 11/16/2003

Francis is a team player. At times. But there are too many times when Steve is unwilling to share the ball.

These times seem to be:

1. If the team is struggling. Francis, gosh darn it, thinks of himself as the team leader. And what do team leaders do when the team is struggling? A leader puts the team on his back and wins. Nevermind if he's playing ****ty and others are playing better...

2. If he's been out of the game for a while. Gosh darn it, Steven's an all-star! It's all well and good to let others score and help as well. But all-stars shouldn't defer forever! So, after a few non-Steve oriented possessions, the only logical thing to do is to dribble aimlessly for about 20 seconds, then take a double team on to get to the basket.

3. If he's hot. Wow - Steve just had 6 open shots, and hit 5 of them. This must mean that he just can't miss tonight. Time to dribble around 3 people, then try a reverse dunk on a 7'2 center in the lane!

4. Clutch situations. He's Steven "All-Star" Francis. The best player on his team. Of course the ball is going to him in crucial situations.

And while that may seem like those situations cover most of the game... that's not really true. Steve has made progress in sharing the ball. He's good when we have a small lead. He's often good in the see-saw struggles of the first 3 quarters. He's just fine with a big lead (though occasionally he'll show boat too much here). But there just seem to be too many situations when "Good Steve" goes bye bye... and he starts playing like a hot shot rookie again.

 

This was a truly disappointing loss. Franc's last second shot selections are just bone headed. The fact that Yaowasn't involved at all in the offense in the 2 OT's is just puzzling. He was definitely getting the calls inside and I thought we should have kept pounding the ball inside. I am just not a big fan of Francis. Why can't we get a PG like Steve Nash, who I think is the best PG in the league. Hate to say this, but as long as Francis is our PG, we will never go to that next level!!

 

Even the Toronto radio commentators pointed out this problem. It seems that every time Rockets are in crunch time, they seem to leave Yao out of the offense?? Could this be because JVG doesn't want to draw any Yao involved in clutch time or is it because SF and Cat just think that they should step up and be the man in the end. I truly think we should recruit a pure PG for the Rockets. Someone with a PG mentality can really turn this team around. SF is a good PG, but he's known more as a SCORING PG than a PASSING PG. Thus, his mind is set on scoring first and passing second. Either way, when you have a 7'5 center on your team, there is no excuse you should leave him out of the offense at the end of any close game. NO EXCUSE ROX! YOU guys F@#KED up this game BIG TIME!!

 

Francis was horrible tonight. He played selfishly and he did that on a night that he wasn't even shooting well. He made boneheaded plays consistently today.

That being said, Yao was involved in the OT's, he was involved in turning the ball over several times including the 3rd to the last possession in the first OT. Watch a tape if you have it. Yao just bumbled the ball out of his hands. After that the team unwisely didn't feed him again.

It's true that Yao had turned it over before that as well, but I think the team should have still passed it into him, since nobody else had it going either.

It's strange that while in this game people are correct to bash Francis it's like Yao's TO's were invisible. I've seen several people ask why Yao wasn't involved toward the end. The problem is that he was involved but turned the ball over.

Kelvin Cato was the only consistent person in Rockets uniform today.

 

when did steve have 27 bricks?

 

im just shocked. I thought this game started at 6:30. I was too busy watching the texans game without knowing the rockets were playing too.

 

This is a great post. I think point number one seems to be the case a lot of the time. The sad thing about today's game is Steve was taking shots, and he was no where near to being on fire. I know he probably felt like he should be taking the shots because nobody else had their offensive game going either, but it would have been better for Francis to share the ball and the blame for this one.

 

it wasn;t just SF fault, it was every1 too. There are times when this team will lose to a bad team, so just deal with it. Its just a game!


-Its all good!

 

1 ast, 50 minutes----SF

 

The thing that bothered me the post about OT and DOT was that it seemed like we didn't execute a single play. It was all street ball and improv. They played like a team the entire second half, team offense and defense and then when it gets tight, it's iso ball?

I know for a fact JVG wasn't calling on the Steve Iso play the entire two overtimes. Jesus Steve, dance with what brung you. The team kept us close, trust your teammates.

 

Here is my theory.

I just think SF has a tendency to want to take over games, when ever the Rockets play a team that has a superstar.

The Magic have TM and SF went a little crazy in that game, and the Raptors have VC, and today SF was back to his old tricks.

I think as long as the opposing team lacks a superstar, SF has the will power to keep his game in check, but if the other team has a star player, then SF self destructs and tries to take over the game.

This is something to watch for in future games. Compare the number of shots SF takes when the other team has a star (backcourt) player, to how many shots SF usually takes.

Raven

 

Heartbreak...... Sometimes, luck can overcome one's shortcomings which can't be overcome by reason. This time, those shortcomings showed again in a luckless fierce fight, it reminds us they are still there and how angelic patience we should have with growing pains...

 

all I have to say, regardless of whether you liked the shots that steve took, and regardless of his lack of assists, he had only 1 turnover. how many did yao and cuttino have? add them up buddy. I swear, it's like half of you people expected the rockets to go 82-0, you blame everything on steve, when you couldn't do any better if you hoped to. truth is, half of you wouldn't be happy no matter who we had on our roster. please, go be a mavs fan and shut up.

 

SF is not a good decision maker, playmaker, how long is the management going to realize that and do something?

 

http://www.nba.com/games/20031116/HOUTOR/recap.html

Common Stevie, give the Rookie some credit when he did everything right for the Raptors. The same could be said about you Stevie and the 27shots that you took and hoped that many would gone in also.

 

When SF and Cat are hot, they look like geniuses (except on fastbreak passes), and when they are cold they look like selfish idiots. I hope JVG shows them tapes of their boneheadedness until it sinks in.

Those excuses about lucky shots sound like sour grapes and Francis should shut up and show some class.

 

actually JVG sucks, he should have told Francis that if you are not hot today, pass the damn ball.

 

Yeah, and Cato wasn't shooting 2/9 from the field, huh? Or is it his "superb" defense assignment on Bosh? The game shouldn't have even gone into overtime. The Rockets were up 3 with couple seconds left in regulation. It was a stupidity for him to go doubleteam an ice cold Carter which led to Bosh's open shot for the trey. Whenever you let someone you're assigned to guard, in this case, Cato on Bosh, and you allow the person to score like 25, you're not doing your job defensively. Cato got lectured for the rookie.

 

Would you want Kelving Cato to shoot the game tying 3 if you're the Rox? As good as Bosh was tonight, he is their power foward and have not attempted a 3 all night. He made it, we lost eventually, i t happens.